Abstract

[From the introduction]. The decision of the European Union (EU) to start formal accession talks with Turkey in October 2005 marked a historic point in relations between the parties. As a candidate for membership, Turkey attained recognition from its European neighbors that it belongs in the European club of states – a status sought by Turkish and Ottoman governments for almost 150 years. However, unlike in the case of other accession, eventual membership still face certain unknown that might derail the whole exercise – e.g., Austrian and French uncertainty of granting Turkey membership, Germany’s worries over freedom of movement of labor, and the Greek Cypriots’ desire to use its veto card to obtain concessions from the Turks in Cyprus. Despite uncertain future of EU-Turkey relations, one thing remains clear. Without EU membership aspirations, it is questionable whether Turkish political elites would have moved so quickly to reform Turkey’s political system and bring it closer to those found in liberal representative democracies of the EU. Yet, despite these reforms on the economic and political fronts, events of recent months surrounding the election of the new president in 2007 demonstrated the delicate nature of Turkish democracy. Furthermore, series of reports published by different think tanks and the European Commission, outlined challenges and benefits of Turkey’s membership. In light of these considerations, this paper evaluates the effects of EU-accession reforms and membership on consolidation of democracy in Turkey, and assesses the benefits of Turkish membership for the EU.